Last night after The Savages, I watched a film of such staggering, mind-warping brilliance that it moves me to tears just to recall it. A film with characters that blazed an unthinkable pass up the mountain and into my heart, their conflicts resonating with me just as much at this moment as they did the entire length of the film. Their experiences of pain and heroism jet immediately to the top of the list of most noble and unforgettable quests in the history of cinema, and their character arcs were so perfectly chiseled in stone that there wasn't so much as a decimal of falsehood or frivolity. It is a technical marvel as well - mise-en-scene between our two heroines and their titular set piece that gives an actual concrete definition to the once-indefinable term; camera moves that would drop Stanley Kubrick to his knees; sets that were seemingly designed out of the imagination of Socrates; and a musical score that would have driven Salieri to kill himself instead of Mozart.

The film is called 2 Girls, 1 Cup.

schoolofruckus

01-10-2008, 10:33 AM

This is kind of movie related, so I will re-tell this event in here. It probably will be boring for most.

So the other night, I was reading the board and saw that the Chemical Bros. were probably going to be at Coachella. That was the last thing I read before I got up to get ready for bed. So I am brushing my teeth, deep in thought, thinking about this. I veer from the Chemical Bros. to the Dust Brothers and their work in the movie Fight Club. I was thinking about how bad ass that soundtrack was that they created, which got me thinking about the best music in the movie, that ending scene where Edward Norton is running all over town. At this point, I am ready for bed, so I turn the TV on. What's playing? Fight Club, the scene where Edward Norton is running around town at the end. I haven't seen this movie in literally 5 years and hadn't listened to the soundtrack in about a year. Crazy shit.

To relate this more to the thread, Fight Club is awesome.

Oh, and Adam Sandler peaked with Happy Gilmore. Click was abysmal.

That's a pretty sweet coincidence.

I had not previously heard that the Chemical Bros. were playing Coachella, so that's exciting in its own right.

luckyface

01-10-2008, 10:40 AM

That's a pretty sweet coincidence.

I had not previously heard that the Chemical Bros. were playing Coachella, so that's exciting in its own right.

Yeah, it is by no means set in stone, but the details are here (http://coachella.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12022). (Scroll down to the bolded sentence at the end)

downingthief

01-10-2008, 11:05 AM

Last night after The Savages, I watched a film of such staggering, mind-warping brilliance that it moves me to tears just to recall it. A film with characters that blazed an unthinkable pass up the mountain and into my heart, their conflicts resonating with me just as much at this moment as they did the entire length of the film. Their experiences of pain and heroism jet immediately to the top of the list of most noble and unforgettable quests in the history of cinema, and their character arcs were so perfectly chiseled in stone that there wasn't so much as a decimal of falsehood or frivolity. It is a technical marvel as well - mise-en-scene between our two heroines and their titular set piece that gives an actual concrete definition to the once-indefinable term; camera moves that would drop Stanley Kubrick to his knees; sets that were seemingly designed out of the imagination of Socrates; and a musical score that would have driven Salieri to kill himself instead of Mozart.

The film is called 2 Girls, 1 Cup.

Thanks, Gabe. I lol'd.

Yablonowitz

01-10-2008, 11:23 AM

Last night after The Savages, I watched a film of such staggering, mind-warping brilliance that it moves me to tears just to recall it. A film with characters that blazed an unthinkable pass up the mountain and into my heart, their conflicts resonating with me just as much at this moment as they did the entire length of the film. Their experiences of pain and heroism jet immediately to the top of the list of most noble and unforgettable quests in the history of cinema, and their character arcs were so perfectly chiseled in stone that there wasn't so much as a decimal of falsehood or frivolity. It is a technical marvel as well - mise-en-scene between our two heroines and their titular set piece that gives an actual concrete definition to the once-indefinable term; camera moves that would drop Stanley Kubrick to his knees; sets that were seemingly designed out of the imagination of Socrates; and a musical score that would have driven Salieri to kill himself instead of Mozart.

The film is called 2 Girls, 1 Cup.

I kind of thought it was shitty.

hAHAHAHAHAAAAAA. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

downingthief

01-10-2008, 11:27 AM

Beautiful, Greg.

PotVsKtl

01-10-2008, 11:29 AM

Last night after The Savages, I watched a film of such staggering, mind-warping brilliance that it moves me to tears just to recall it. A film with characters that blazed an unthinkable pass up the mountain and into my heart, their conflicts resonating with me just as much at this moment as they did the entire length of the film. Their experiences of pain and heroism jet immediately to the top of the list of most noble and unforgettable quests in the history of cinema, and their character arcs were so perfectly chiseled in stone that there wasn't so much as a decimal of falsehood or frivolity. It is a technical marvel as well - mise-en-scene between our two heroines and their titular set piece that gives an actual concrete definition to the once-indefinable term; camera moves that would drop Stanley Kubrick to his knees; sets that were seemingly designed out of the imagination of Socrates; and a musical score that would have driven Salieri to kill himself instead of Mozart.

The film is called 2 Girls, 1 Cup.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2118/2086073362_b9ca71a07e_o.jpg

schoolofruckus

01-10-2008, 11:31 AM

I was aware of that scholarly take on the piece. I did not read it in advance, for I didn't want its theses to impede upon my own sense of clarity.

amyzzz

01-10-2008, 11:32 AM

Nice. At least I know what it is now. I wasn't going to watch it.

kreutz2112

01-10-2008, 11:33 AM

hahaha!!!

Down Rodeo

01-10-2008, 02:40 PM

Andrei Rublev is showing tomorrow night at the Pacific Film Archive. Is it worth seeing on a big screen, or should I just Netflix it?

PotVsKtl

01-10-2008, 02:51 PM

It's not worth it, it's mandatory.

schoolofruckus

01-10-2008, 03:18 PM

Andrei Rublev is showing tomorrow night at the Pacific Film Archive. Is it worth seeing on a big screen, or should I just Netflix it?

The Criterion print that I got from Netflix had an abnormal aspect ratio - something insane like 3:1. I don't know if later issues have been framed correctly, but that's one of many reasons that you should see it on the cinema screen. The most obvious one is that you should really see any great film on a big screen any time you get the chance.

iv3rdawG

01-10-2008, 03:20 PM

Hopefully most people have seen Vertigo so I'll be posting a few spoilers in my summary.

Went and saw Vertigo for the first time last night at the Arclight. Saw it because it's my brother's favorite film and he wanted me to watch it so what's a better way than on the big screen? First off I really like Jimmy Stewart. He's great in it. I found the first half to be a bit slow at times but after Madeline "dies" the film really picks up. The only part I really was like "wtf?" at was at the end when Madeline falls off the church and the nun comes up really quick and does the thing over her heart and just says something really quick and it just ends really abruptly. Overall I enjoyed it quite a lot.

amyzzz

01-10-2008, 03:26 PM

love love love Vertigo. It's so creepy, and Jimmy Stewart is so obsessive in it. He wears tons of creepy pancake makeup and eyeliner too!

tessalasset

01-10-2008, 03:35 PM

Gabe I can't believe you went from Savages to 2 Girls 1 Cup in a matter of hours. And I can't believe you watched the whole thing. I cannot get past that first feces-eating shot. I can't stomach it. I can stomach the reaction shots, tho. Here's one of my friends' roommate.

LwBpG0akT-8

full on idle

01-10-2008, 03:44 PM

That just made me cry.

whynotsmile99

01-10-2008, 04:10 PM

Gabe I can't believe you went from Savages to 2 Girls 1 Cup in a matter of hours. And I can't believe you watched the whole thing. I cannot get past that first feces-eating shot. I can't stomach it. I can stomach the reaction shots, tho. Here's one of my friends' roommate.

LwBpG0akT-8

i love the reaction shots of people, especially when they think its going to be just another porn. Have you seen the grandma one? thats the best. Theres one with the Roots too.

it's certainly pretty gross. When she sucks on that like a tootsie roll i groaned for sure. I think its certainly in my top 5 worst things ive seen on the internet.

mountmccabe

01-10-2008, 04:13 PM

Andrei Rublev is showing tomorrow night at the Pacific Film Archive. Is it worth seeing on a big screen, or should I just Netflix it?

Jealous.

schoolofruckus

01-10-2008, 04:25 PM

Hopefully most people have seen Vertigo so I'll be posting a few spoilers in my summary.

Went and saw Vertigo for the first time last night at the Arclight. Saw it because it's my brother's favorite film and he wanted me to watch it so what's a better way than on the big screen? First off I really like Jimmy Stewart. He's great in it. I found the first half to be a bit slow at times but after Madeline "dies" the film really picks up. The only part I really was like "wtf?" at was at the end when Madeline falls off the church and the nun comes up really quick and does the thing over her heart and just says something really quick and it just ends really abruptly. Overall I enjoyed it quite a lot.

I liked Vertigo on reflection/reading up after the fact, but some of the turgid exposition (particularly the scenes involving Midge) in the first half threw me out of it for most of the film. The ending is excellent, though.

schoolofruckus

01-10-2008, 04:26 PM

Gabe I can't believe you went from Savages to 2 Girls 1 Cup in a matter of hours. And I can't believe you watched the whole thing. I cannot get past that first feces-eating shot. I can't stomach it. I can stomach the reaction shots, tho. Here's one of my friends' roommate.

It was like one hour afterward. AND I had just finished eating dinner when I watched it. I think if you can get past seeing the girl shit straight onto the frame, you can make it to the end. It's not that long.

KungFuJoe

01-10-2008, 04:59 PM

here's another movie about shit.

pf-8H5ieqTk

KungFuJoe

01-10-2008, 05:11 PM

on a side note - I just saw JUNO. I enjoyed it. I am so thankful that I now live near the Los Feliz theater though and it only cost me $4.50. Best theater in town! Also, There Will Be Blood opens at the Vista tomorrow, which means I get to watch it again for $5. Sweet.

Anyways, back to Juno. I totally agree with you all about the dialogue in the film and I understand the backlash against it. There were a lot of moments where the characters didn't seem natural and were simply reading lines. I was able to get passed this as the film progressed. What held the film together for me were the performances by all the lead actors. Most suprisingly to me, Jennifer Gardner. The emotions conveyed was the strength of the film, not what was spewing out of their mouths. Some lines did make me chuckle though. Although the pop culture references were certainly overbearing. Ultimately, this is a feel good film and I couldn't have been happier for the way everything came together in the end. It was exactly what I was hoping for. Good feel good film, but it doesn't rank up there with other adolescent indie comedies the likes of Ghost World or Election.

kreutz2112

01-10-2008, 05:18 PM

wasn't Juno written by an (ex?) stripper?

bmack86

01-10-2008, 05:36 PM

I can't believe I'm missing Andrei Rublev. I'm going to Mammoth tonight. Why do they have to do it this week?

schoolofruckus

01-10-2008, 06:02 PM

wasn't Juno written by an (ex?) stripper?

slash ex-blogger. And unfortunately, she bought a propensity to sell herself and a writer's tongue that's too quippy for its own good from those jobs to her current one.

tessalasset

01-10-2008, 11:58 PM

Oh and I know Gabe already alluded to this but I just wanted to say on the record The Savages was one of the best films I've seen in a very long time and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Stefinitely Maybe

01-11-2008, 04:21 AM

Have any of you seen Robot Jox? It sounds pretty awesome:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8c/Robot_jox.jpg

The movie is set fifty years after a world-wide nuclear war almost destroyed mankind. War is outlawed and the two superpowers, the Americans and their nemesis the Confederation, handle territorial disputes in a different way. Each fields a giant robot to fight one-on-one battles in official matches, each piloted by a man inside, known as robot jockeys, or "jox".

Also, according to this site (http://www.nachtkabarett.com/NIN), part of the movie was sampled by Trent Reznor, for use in the NIN song, "The Becoming"!

schoolofruckus

01-11-2008, 10:31 AM

I'm not even really done with my 2007 film year (getting ever close, though, as is my favorites list), and I'm already looking forward to 2008 - the early part of which should be a continuation of the stand-out fall season of last year. And I'm not talking about just Cloverfield - though my fingers are still crossed, and I've read some really appetizing reviews (not counting the obligatory Harry Knowles gushing) the last couple of days that have stoked the fires even more. But what I'm really talking about is the likes of Snow Angels (new David Gordon Green), My Blueberry Nights (in spite of exactly zero enthusiasm from anyone so far, it's a new Wong Kar-Wai and I'm going to be there), Funny Games USA, and hopefully, releases for shoulda-been-2007 films like Nothing Is Private and The Man From London.

Perhaps my highest anticipation among the early-year offerings is Gus Van Sant's Paranoid Park - another seemingly sparse, low-budget film with untrained actors. This one has been shot by the great Christopher Doyle, which should only deepen the visual quality that I've come to expect from Van Sant's films. The story - involving teenage skaters who are involved in the accidental killing of a person - seems right out of the Larry Clark ouevre; let's hope the film doesn't stoop to some of the fetishizing that Clark (and, once in a while, Van Sant himself) shoots himself in the foot with.

The fact that Christopher Doyle shot Paranoid Park will put me in the theater. I am also still very interested to see My Blueberry Nights without him as Kar Wai's DP.

schoolofruckus

01-11-2008, 12:57 PM

It seems that Kar-Wai, Van Sant, and David Fincher all played musical chairs with their DP's this year. Doyle's working with Van Sant; Harris Savides shot Zodiac; and Darius Khondji (Seven, Panic Room) did My Blueberry Nights.

whynotsmile99

01-11-2008, 12:58 PM

The fact that Christopher Doyle shot Paranoid Park will put me in the theater. I am also still very interested to see My Blueberry Nights without him as Kar Wai's DP.

whatever happened to that? I swore I saw the trailer ages ago

schoolofruckus

01-11-2008, 01:06 PM

It had a disastrous Cannes screening and it's limping into theaters on February 13th.

KungFuJoe

01-11-2008, 01:07 PM

2046 had a disaturous screening at Cannes as well, but I loved the shit out of it.

I do expect less from Blueberry Nights though

thelastgreatman

01-11-2008, 01:08 PM

What the fuck happened with Southland Tales, Gabe? Did that shit actually get released on Dec 7 like IMDB claims? I don't even remember anyone mentioning any theatre that was playing it.

DVD on March 18 though.

ruetheday

01-11-2008, 01:11 PM

netflix the breaks. pretty much the best movie of all time.

KungFuJoe

01-11-2008, 01:12 PM

It seems that Kar-Wai, Van Sant, and David Fincher all played musical chairs with their DP's this year. Doyle's working with Van Sant; Harris Savides shot Zodiac; and Darius Khondji (Seven, Panic Room) did My Blueberry Nights.

That's pretty interesting. I didn't notice that. Doyle's been branching out a lot more these days. I still want to see Shamalan's Lady in the Water simply because he shot that, though I despise Shamalan. I still love that fact that he also shot MADE.

thelastgreatman

01-11-2008, 01:15 PM

Also movie thread, I thought you should all know that I finally got around to finishing another full draft of my script and we're finally actually really close. If I can cut 20 more pages, expect me to be famous any day now. It's great, btw.

Courtney

01-11-2008, 01:16 PM

Andrei Rublev is showing tomorrow night at the Pacific Film Archive. Is it worth seeing on a big screen, or should I just Netflix it?

If you don't go to this I might jump through the computer screen to strangle your senses back into you. So beyond worth it.

KungFuJoe

01-11-2008, 01:19 PM

so, do you have an agent? or a producer that is all set to make it into a film?

Good luck man. Judging by some of your posts I can tell you are a good writer and have no doubt you can back up your cockyness. It's definately not an easy business. I'm assuming you're not part of the writers guild?

Courtney

01-11-2008, 01:23 PM

Ratatouille was good, as I expected something coming from Pixar to be. I mean obviously the animation was top notch, and the amount of detail put into shots and sequences is really amazing actually, and it has a nice uplifting story/theme.

I finally got around to watching Ratatouille the other night. It was really fun! I think part of the appeal is just that I used to work at a cooking school so all the culinary stereotypes were especially amusing. The pre-packaged, freeze-dried "you can do anything you set your mind to, with enough desire and perseverance" moral of the story was a little annoying, but for a kids' movie it was cute and charming.

KungFuJoe

01-11-2008, 01:51 PM

I still need to go and rent Ratatouille. Been lagging on the animated films. I recently purchased Tekkon Kinkreet though and am excited for it's arrival in the mail next week.

I ended up renting Eastern Promises over Ratatouille last week and regretted that decision. I wasn't a big fan of History of Violence, but had hopes that this one was better. Not so much.

thelastgreatman

01-11-2008, 02:03 PM

so, do you have an agent? or a producer that is all set to make it into a film?

Good luck man. Judging by some of your posts I can tell you are a good writer and have no doubt you can back up your cockyness. It's definately not an easy business. I'm assuming you're not part of the writers guild?

I'm going to try to resist doing the agent thing because I don't like them, but I'm also not about to waste too much time exhausting the few contacts to production companies/investors I have. It's going to go out to friends or friends of my theoretical collaborator on this (for the moment) in the major agencies as well, but I'm trying to pull off an absurd first-time writer/director/actor thing and I think it would be just as well to just get face-to-face with as many ballsy small production companies as possible. If I somehow do succeed in this absurd feat it's going to be because of me, and I'd rather not have some slimy agent fucking with it.

I have a friend who wants to produce it, and he will if he manages to help it get made. He's a good dude, understands the material better than most, not experienced as a producer but has worked on several studio flicks from being the friend and assistant of a couple name directors. We'll see how it goes. Still have to lose 20 more fucking pages, but at least at this point there's barely any tightening to do so I'm just gonna figure out which scenes are least vital and cut.

Then after we have funding, I'm putting them back in secretly. Mwa ha ha.

KungFuJoe

01-11-2008, 02:19 PM

Like i said. Good luck. Heck, if Robert Rodriguez can do it, why not anyone else? What kind of budget you looking for?

My friends & I are wrapping up production some time at the end of this month on a feature we started in August. Took time off here and there and will finally complete the opening scene. Then it's on to finishing post production and hopefully the festival circuit. I put a lot of time and effort into the project for over a year, but my partners laid down the cash. Not sure the totals, but I believe we did it for around $30K and it's looking pretty good.

thelastgreatman

01-11-2008, 02:33 PM

That's really impressive. I hope to not have to do it on a shoestring (I figure 100k or less is shoestring, 30k for sure is) because even though it could be shot very cheaply and still turn out good, if we could get closer to 500k I think it could have a serious chance for being a big indie film.

It's a small cast, three of the main roles will be played by friends and myself, only elements that will cost much at all will be that a lot of it takes place in a school (thus a lot of extras) and there are two large parties and fight sequences. Pretty much everything else could be shot for nothing if I really wanted to, which is nice 'cause it's probably a good idea to shoot a short section of it ourselves to help with the pitch for funding.

Yeah, I got convinced I could pull an auteur thing because Kevin Smith shot Clerks 15 minutes from my home. Definitely looking forward to seeing what you made though, and mad props for pulling it off. What genre?

J~$$$

01-11-2008, 02:38 PM

I smell rip-off.

thelastgreatman

01-11-2008, 02:45 PM

Who rip-off what? Me rip-off Kevin Smith? I dunno, Gabe, what do you think? Is my script ripping anything off? I mean, I know what I ripped off, but I don't know if anyone else would.

schoolofruckus

01-11-2008, 02:49 PM

2046 had a disaturous screening at Cannes as well, but I loved the shit out of it.

I do expect less from Blueberry Nights though

That's a good point. 2046 was one of my favorite Wong films.

But Blueberry Nights sounds like a failure for different - and more substantial - reasons.

J~$$$

01-11-2008, 02:50 PM

Who rip-off what? Me rip-off Kevin Smith? I dunno, Gabe, what do you think? Is my script ripping anything off? I mean, I know what I ripped off, but I don't know if anyone else would.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u279/0210x3/outsiders.jpg

schoolofruckus

01-11-2008, 02:51 PM

What the fuck happened with Southland Tales, Gabe? Did that shit actually get released on Dec 7 like IMDB claims? I don't even remember anyone mentioning any theatre that was playing it.

DVD on March 18 though.

Yeah, it actually came out November 16th. It played the Arclight for a week or two and then was relegated to the ghettos of the Beverly Center. Regrettably, I didn't see it again on the big screen. It comes out on DVD March 18th.

schoolofruckus

01-11-2008, 02:53 PM

That's pretty interesting. I didn't notice that. Doyle's been branching out a lot more these days. I still want to see Shamalan's Lady in the Water simply because he shot that, though I despise Shamalan. I still love that fact that he also shot MADE.

You will probably hate Lady in the Water, but you should see it.

I also love the fact that he shot Made. He definitely gave it a great look, for the kind of movie it is.

thelastgreatman

01-11-2008, 02:55 PM

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u279/0210x3/outsiders.jpg

That's funny, but noooooooo. Hate the fucking Outsiders. Although I think there was a line in my script at one point where someone rags on me by calling me Ponyboy, funnily enough.

schoolofruckus

01-11-2008, 02:55 PM

I finally got around to watching Ratatouille the other night. It was really fun! I think part of the appeal is just that I used to work at a cooking school so all the culinary stereotypes were especially amusing. The pre-packaged, freeze-dried "you can do anything you set your mind to, with enough desire and perseverance" moral of the story was a little annoying, but for a kids' movie it was cute and charming.

It's funny to me that a movie that critiques the idea of selling one's artistry into frozen food commodity offers very little thematically that doesn't fit that description.

schoolofruckus

01-11-2008, 03:11 PM

Who rip-off what? Me rip-off Kevin Smith? I dunno, Gabe, what do you think? Is my script ripping anything off? I mean, I know what I ripped off, but I don't know if anyone else would.

Mmmm....I would say that it's kind of like the story to the classic young adult novel Rats Saw God* by Rob Thomas (the guy that created "Veronica Mars", not the Matchbox 20 singer), only with the tone/drug and violence content of Rules of Attraction. "Rip off" doesn't particularly apply.

It is absolutely not Kevin Smith-like in any capacity. And I would like to read the new and improved version.

* - Not a diss. I love this book.

thelastgreatman

01-11-2008, 03:20 PM

I've never heard of that, interesting. I may have to check it out. New version coming your way.

KungFuJoe

01-11-2008, 04:14 PM

Yeah, I got convinced I could pull an auteur thing because Kevin Smith shot Clerks 15 minutes from my home. Definitely looking forward to seeing what you made though, and mad props for pulling it off. What genre?

It's a film-noir thriller. We were able to pull it off on such a shoe sting budget because 90% of the film takes place in one location. We rented the space, but built the set ourselves, for the most part. It was quite the grueling experience, but a shitload of fun.

Shooting a short segment of your script yourself would probably be a good idea. Especially if you're looking to direct & act in the project. My friend & writer of the film I worked on has a great horror script he's been trying to shop, but has no buyers yet. A few key interests though. If it doesn't happen, we're hoping to go into production on that next if our current project takes in some cash. We'll certainly need over 100K for that one.

I look foward to some day seeing your script come to life. Heck, if you need any help let me know. I'm looking to get my mits involved in some more projects this year. My own included, being that I'm in the market for a good dv camera.

thelastgreatman

01-11-2008, 04:19 PM

Nice, I tried to think of a single location story several times so that I could just shoot something with no money but never came up with anything I was satisfied with.

I forget which director's commentary on a DVD said that the way he managed to convince the production company he should direct his script was by shooting one sequence. Maybe Richard Kelly on Darko?

After a couple of edits I'd love to get your notes on it if you'd be interested.

KungFuJoe

01-11-2008, 04:38 PM

Notes on the script or on whatevr segment you shoot from it? Either way, let me know. I enjoy helping in any way possible. I'm not much of a writer though, so you probably wouldn't want my notes on the script. not that that necessarily matters.

iv3rdawG

01-11-2008, 07:35 PM

Caught I'm Not There today. First of all let me say that I haven't really listened to any Bob Dylan music and I don't know much about him. Now saying that I am pretty sure that I would have enjoyed it more if I knew more about him. Blanchett and Ledger did the best jobs, I thought. I really loved the scene with the paparazzi at the restaurant. Weird movie, too.

whynotsmile99

01-11-2008, 08:50 PM

Caught I'm Not There today. First of all let me say that I haven't really listened to any Bob Dylan music and I don't know much about him. Now saying that I am pretty sure that I would have enjoyed it more if I knew more about him. Blanchett and Ledger did the best jobs, I thought. I really loved the scene with the paparazzi at the restaurant. Weird movie, too.

go buy Blond on Blond.

it's seriously the greatest thing ever.

iv3rdawG

01-11-2008, 08:53 PM

go buy Blond on Blond.

it's seriously the greatest thing ever.

Ya I'm going to listen to it tomorrow, actually.

Down Rodeo

01-11-2008, 11:51 PM

I'm glad you guys talked me into going to see Andrei Rublev tonight. It was pretty amazing as a whole, and some of the scenes were downright breathtaking. There were some moments in the middle where I got confused and thought the narrative kind of stalled, but it picked up and had a beautiful and profound climax. Well worth the $5.50 I paid for it.

bballarl

01-12-2008, 02:26 AM

I just watched Transformers. While I realize I am a few months late to that party, I thought it was really bad. But it had redeeming humorous qualities, intentional or not.

thelastgreatman

01-12-2008, 05:45 AM

Gabe, I'm about to look through this thread now to find out what you said about Southland Tales. I'm announcing in advance that if you tried to be at all complimentary then I will flatten you out of nowhere with a flying body tackle in front of the main stage sometime on Saturday.

thelastgreatman

01-12-2008, 05:51 AM

Now on to one of the most delightfully bizarre films I've ever seen....

"Southland Tales".

It is the work of a fucking madman.

I think we all know what it's sort of about. In a post-terrorist attack America that has been strangled by an extrapolation of the Patriot Act, around the 4th of July in 2008, the film's canvas (it doesn't feel right to call it a story) weaves together an amnesiac action star (The Rock), who should be married to the Republican presidential candidate's daughter (Mandy Moore) but who is romantically involved with an enterprising porn actress (Sarah Michelle Gellar); an equally dazed police officer (Seann William Scott) who is being manipulated by neo-Marxist terrorists (played by various former "SNL" castmembers); a scientist (Wallace Shawn) who has invented a new form of aquatically-derived energy; and a military sharpshooter (Justin Timberlake) who mans a sniper's rifle from the top of a shack on Venice Beach.

By now - judging from the content as well as the rambling form of my one-sentence synopsis - you should know whether or not you want to see this movie. But I assure you - if it sounds so far like something tame and familiar, then you're in for a huge shock. This shit is all over the place from the jump, a sensory overload the likes of which I have rarely seen attempted (much less pulled off successfully), and it's simultaneously glorious and head-shaking. The film offers a reasonably helpful prologue to explain the set-up, and by the end things finally start to approach coherence, but getting there is going to definitely thin out the film's detractors from its pack of supporters. It would be a lot more difficult, however, if there wasn't so much fun to be had along the way - the film's visual scheme is high energy and inventive; the Moby score is every bit as satisfying as I could have hoped for in establishing a menacing, beautiful ambience; and best of all, there's a genuine sense of joy and enthusiasm in the way this saga spills. The casting of all these pop actors - one of dozens of head-scratching concepts that have been thrown at the flypaper that is this film - is both a benefit and a detriment; the performances could definitely have been better as a whole, but in something this anarchic, it somehow feels right to have "stars" instead of serious actors. I can't comment much on the political message (except to say that it's very clear where Richard Kelly's coming from), because piecing together the puzzle left no surplus of effort for analyzing the subtext, but I can say that I had a ton of fun with this movie and I will absolutely be seeing it again - probably many times. Kelly's films may not pay off entirely on first viewing, but they absolutely have the invaluable ability to make you want to revisit them and see what more you can get.

I will be very interested in monitoring the reactions to this film. I know that all opinion is subjective (though I do think that there is such a thing as an inarguably good film regardless of taste), but this film - more than most - is going to put people on opposite ends of the solar system. Some of you are going to just fucking despise it, to the point that you may physically harm me if you see it based on my review. Others will probably hail it as a masterwork. I'm not sure it's quite that, but it's definitely closer to it than not. Bottom line is that, if nothing else, the conviction and spirit of this kind of film must be heartily saluted.

WHAT THE FUCK? There is no possible way in fucking hell you could actually want to watch that movie again. The only circumstance under which you will ever watch Southland Tales a second time is to show someone else how absurd it is, during which you will realize that you have committed an act of pure cruelty by enticing others to watch.

At least that's what I did. I made my roommates watch it at gunpoint just so I could talk about what a bad idea this was, but I couldn't bear to be in the room for more than ten minutes.

thelastgreatman

01-12-2008, 06:09 AM

No, but don't take it personally, I just don't like synopsizing.

KungFuJoe

01-12-2008, 08:18 AM

WHAT THE FUCK? There is no possible way in fucking hell you could actually want to watch that movie again. The only circumstance under which you will ever watch Southland Tales a second time is to show someone else how absurd it is, during which you will realize that you have committed an act of pure cruelty by enticing others to watch.

At least that's what I did. I made my roommates watch it at gunpoint just so I could talk about what a bad idea this was, but I couldn't bear to be in the room for more than ten minutes.

I did the same thing to my friends with Battle Royale 2,

schoolofruckus

01-12-2008, 09:15 AM

WHAT THE FUCK? There is no possible way in fucking hell you could actually want to watch that movie again. The only circumstance under which you will ever watch Southland Tales a second time is to show someone else how absurd it is, during which you will realize that you have committed an act of pure cruelty by enticing others to watch.

At least that's what I did. I made my roommates watch it at gunpoint just so I could talk about what a bad idea this was, but I couldn't bear to be in the room for more than ten minutes.

Wait, so you did see it? When/how?

schoolofruckus

01-12-2008, 09:36 AM

Seriously, I'm going to buy it on DVD. I thought it was extremely entertaining, and from an aesthetic standpoint, I'd say his insane ambitions were realized. I offer no commentary of how the satirical elements of it work, because I couldn't dig deep enough into the film to assess them on first viewing.

Some of you are going to just fucking despise it, to the point that you may physically harm me if you see it based on my review.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/weto27/untitled.jpg

thelastgreatman

01-12-2008, 03:00 PM

Last night, found a torrent of a cam bootleg. And yes, I did like how that prediction was so accurate. I interpret as knowing inside that what you were saying should get your ass kicked. =)

corbo

01-12-2008, 11:14 PM

just saw the orphanage. i thought it was an awesome ghost story with lots of spooky moments.it had a 'pans labyrinth' feel to it. go see it!

dorkfish

01-12-2008, 11:15 PM

5. Sweeney Todd - My favorite part was during the first song when I remembered that I hate musicals.

dorkfish

01-13-2008, 01:50 AM

6. Charlie Wilson's War - It was entertaining. So was The Firm back in the day, if that means anything. Hoffman was character acting, so people who think he needs another Oscar nod are wrong.

wmgaretjax

01-13-2008, 10:08 AM

"The Firm..." hahahahaha.

KungFuJoe

01-13-2008, 10:14 AM

I went and saw There Will Be Blood for the second time yesterday. As the ending credits rolled, I had the urge to sit through it again. It really doens't get much better than that.

kreutz2112

01-13-2008, 10:19 AM

I am so pissed There will be blood is not playing anywhere in Utah.

schoolofruckus

01-13-2008, 10:32 AM

I went and saw There Will Be Blood for the second time yesterday. As the ending credits rolled, I had the urge to sit through it again. It really doens't get much better than that.

I've felt the same way both times I've seen it. I plan on catching it a third time while it's still at the Arclight.

Sorry, Adam. You should drive to San Francisco or something and go watch it.

kreutz2112

01-13-2008, 10:34 AM

are there any future plans for a nationwide release?

schoolofruckus

01-13-2008, 10:37 AM

It only got semi-wide release on January 4th, so I would imagine it will continue to expand in the next few weeks. It's also - and I don't want to jinx it - apparently in the race for some major Oscar nominations; if those happen, then it'll be getting shown all over the place.

kreutz2112

01-13-2008, 10:39 AM

good, because I REALLY want to see. I was going to go see it tonight, but then found out it wasn't playing anywhere. I am going to go see No Country For Old Men instead, as I have not seen that yet.

mountmccabe

01-13-2008, 10:57 AM

I saw There Will Be Blood again last night too. It is truly monstrous. I enjoyed it much more this time because I spent less of the film being flabbergasted.

And afterwards we were talking about it and there was actually stuff to say; this is a deep, slow and subtle film. And it was put together just so wonderfully.

I need to watch Punch Drunk Love again but right now this is #1 on my PTA list.

Benis23

01-13-2008, 11:47 AM

According to PTA, Magnolia is the best movie he will ever make.

schoolofruckus

01-13-2008, 11:59 AM

It's probably the most personal film he'll ever make, so it's not surprising he'd say that.

I have to repeat that he's probably my favorite working filmmaker today. Everything he does is gold, and his skills continue to evolve and deepen with each successive film.

whynotsmile99

01-13-2008, 11:59 AM

I saw There Will Be Blood again last night too. It is truly monstrous. I enjoyed it much more this time because I spent less of the film being flabbergasted.

And afterwards we were talking about it and there was actually stuff to say; this is a deep, slow and subtle film. And it was put together just so wonderfully.

I need to watch Punch Drunk Love again but right now this is #1 on my PTA list.

i saw it last week and loved it as well. It really was a masterpiece, nearly perfect in all imaginable ways. Very deep, poetic, beautiful, funny, scary, sad. Beyond everything though it was just fucking entertaining. Greenwoods score, the direction, the cinematography, Daniel Day Lewis was all just perfect Without a doubt one of my favorite movie endings of all time. it ended PERFECT.

i loved it, just blew me away.

i did hate PDL. only saw it once when It came out, but its time to give that one a second go around. Considering how much I loved PTA other works, i was suprised how much I resented Punch Drunk

wmgaretjax

01-13-2008, 03:53 PM

"Hard Eight" wasn't really gold...

dorkfish

01-13-2008, 03:59 PM

I heard that it's going wide at the end of February

mountmccabe

01-13-2008, 04:08 PM

I heard that you're going wide at the end of February.

ghettojournalist

01-13-2008, 04:44 PM

Yes! it's finally coming to Bakersfield this weekend!

dorkfish

01-13-2008, 05:02 PM

7. Zodiac - It was good. I already knew too much about all of the characters due to my past Zodiac studies, so the intense scenes were just annoying: "Hurry up and not kill him...just like in real life".

schoolofruckus

01-13-2008, 05:56 PM

"Hard Eight" wasn't really gold...

Would it have been had Ryder not molested it? I liked it quite a bit anyway. For a no-budget debut, it's definitely decent.

Keriann and I went to see Persepolis this afternoon (unfortunately, I missed the double bill with 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days last night). I thought it was awesome. For those who haven't heard, it's an animated translation of the autobiographical graphic novel, and it follows author Marjane Sartrapi through her adolescence in the midst of the Iranian revolution, during part of which she travels to Vienna to study at the university. Raised in perhaps the most progressive household in all of Iran (in part by her wonderful, scene-stealing grandma), she battles social oppression and teen angst in equal measures, courting tragedy from an early age but always surrounded by a safe, loving family. I'm making it sound like a politically-charged cartoon of Juno, but it's so much better than that. It's kind of tough to watch a movie that is told primarily through voice-over narration, and even more so when you're reading it off of subtitles, but the film wisely keeps a brisk pace and covers a ton of ground in only 95 minutes or so. This is also a great companion piece to Offside, another recent Iranian film about women who could do without the restrictive protection that male society forces upon them.

iv3rdawG

01-13-2008, 06:10 PM

Would it have been had Ryder not molested it? I liked it quite a bit anyway. For a no-budget debut, it's definitely decent.

Keriann and I went to see Persepolis this afternoon (unfortunately, I missed the double bill with 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days last night).

Sadly I missed it too. I even had tickets :( Glad to hear you liked Persepolis, though. Anyone watching the Golden Globes?

iv3rdawG

01-13-2008, 06:27 PM

Good, Daniel Day Lewis won.

ThomThom

01-13-2008, 07:07 PM

Atonement over No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood... I just realized why I hate the Golden Globes.

schoolofruckus

01-13-2008, 07:15 PM

Did you see Atonement, though? It's not in the same league as No Country or There Will Be Blood, but it's not an outrageous choice. This isn't going to happen, for a million different reasons - but if this film could somehow knock Juno out of the race, I would be ecstatic.

iv3rdawG

01-13-2008, 07:21 PM

Did you see Atonement, though? It's not in the same league as No Country or There Will Be Blood, but it's not an outrageous choice. This isn't going to happen, for a million different reasons - but if this film could somehow knock Juno out of the race, I would be ecstatic.

Agreed. I thought Atonement was wonderful, actually. I'd love to see a spot for Diving Bell and the Butterfly in the best picture category this year. After the awards now I don't think that's much of a longshot as it was before.

ThomThom

01-13-2008, 07:26 PM

Did you see Atonement, though? It's not in the same league as No Country or There Will Be Blood, but it's not an outrageous choice. This isn't going to happen, for a million different reasons - but if this film could somehow knock Juno out of the race, I would be ecstatic.

I did, and while it is a fantastic film and does have all the mushyness of a sweeping epic period romance I still don't think it is better than No Country or Blood, in fact I don't even think it comes close. If the Oscars award this film with The Best Picture of the year than they will simply be going their normal sappy route (ala The English Patient and Titanic). I do however understand what your saying pertaining to the league Atonement is in.

ThomThom

01-13-2008, 07:28 PM

Agreed. I thought Atonement was wonderful, actually. I'd love to see a spot for Diving Bell and the Butterfly in the best picture category this year. After the awards now I don't think that's much of a longshot as it was before.

This would be fantastic, didn't the Academy do this some years ago with Il Postino?

I would love to see No Country, Blood, Diving Bell, and Atonement duke it out at the Oscars. That would be the best group of films in a single category in quite some time.

iv3rdawG

01-13-2008, 07:30 PM

This would be fantastic, didn't the Academy do this some years ago with Il Postino?

I don't think it won any Golden Globes but yeah, it was nominated for the Oscar.

Neutral Milk Hotel

01-13-2008, 07:32 PM

I got I Am Cuba today, I may watch it tonight.

Last night I watched Little Children, thought it was fantastic. Not quite as good as In the Bedroom, which in my opinion is one of the best dramas of this decade, but it was still an interesting, surprisingly compassionate film. Jackie Earle Haley probably deserved the Oscar for his work in it.

I also saw Charlie Wilson's War, but I had trouble focusing on it because I had one of the shittiest days in my life's history, so yeah, I was distracted. Philip Seymour Hoffman was enormously entertaining though.

schoolofruckus

01-13-2008, 07:33 PM

Agreed. I thought Atonement was wonderful, actually. I'd love to see a spot for Diving Bell and the Butterfly in the best picture category this year. After the awards now I don't think that's much of a longshot as it was before.

Julian Schnabel is a slam dunk nominee. I felt that way before this, but now I'm even more convinced. And that's as much of a victory as you could hope for. If the film itself makes the final 5, I'm going to be overjoyed.

I love that so many of the prototypical Oscar films are weak sauce this year, so that all the strong, more challenging films can actually get the acclaim they deserve.

schoolofruckus

01-13-2008, 07:35 PM

This would be fantastic, didn't the Academy do this some years ago with Il Postino?

I would love to see No Country, Blood, Diving Bell, and Atonement duke it out at the Oscars. That would be the best group of films in a single category in quite some time.

I agree. But then fucking Juno would probably come in and spoil the fun.

I'm still convinced that the race will contain No Country, Blood, Juno, and Into the Wild. Atonement may knock Michael Clayton out of the race, but the latter seems to have more audience support.

iv3rdawG

01-13-2008, 07:35 PM

On another note, I watched The Shining for the first time. Yes I know, I'm slapping myself already for waiting so long. Anyway, I really enjoyed it. Especially the last act of the film. During that whole part I loved the scenes where Shelley Duvall's character kept seeing the weird things around the hotel like the cobweb filled lobby and the elevator of blood. And of course, Jack was fantastic.

ThomThom

01-13-2008, 07:45 PM

I agree. But then fucking Juno would probably come in and spoil the fun.

I'm still convinced that the race will contain No Country, Blood, Juno, and Into the Wild. Atonement may knock Michael Clayton out of the race, but the latter seems to have more audience support.

I think your giving Juno too much of a chance in the Oscar race, I really doubt they will nominate it, they did enough last year with the dumb little quirky indie film...They nominated Little Miss Sunshine.

I think it will go as follows, I may see myself making a few changes later on but I can guarantee none of them involve Juno...

No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Atonement
Into The Wild
American Gangster

ghettojournalist

01-13-2008, 08:20 PM

"Juno" will get nominated, but it will be a token, to lighten up the heaviness of the other films and to show they are "hip". "Michael Clayton" has the clientele, but "Atonement" is a shoo-in for its recent win and British-ness.

Neutral Milk Hotel

01-13-2008, 08:20 PM

Everyone has forgotten American Gangster, I think Juno will get nominated. It's already Fox Searchlight's most successful film.

Neutral Milk Hotel

01-13-2008, 08:22 PM

On another note, I watched The Shining for the first time. Yes I know, I'm slapping myself already for waiting so long.

I'm slapping you too.

wmgaretjax

01-13-2008, 08:42 PM

I think Diving Bell won't be nominated, but Schnabel will...

luckyface

01-13-2008, 09:11 PM

On another note, I watched The Shining for the first time. Yes I know, I'm slapping myself already for waiting so long. Anyway, I really enjoyed it. Especially the last act of the film. During that whole part I loved the scenes where Shelley Duvall's character kept seeing the weird things around the hotel like the cobweb filled lobby and the elevator of blood. And of course, Jack was fantastic.

I am dying to stay at that hotel used in the film. I finally discovered it online this week : The Stanley Hotel (http://www.stanleyhotel.com/). Only an hour and a half outside Denver!

iv3rdawG

01-13-2008, 09:12 PM

I am dying to stay at that hotel used in the film. I finally discovered it online this week : The Stanley Hotel (http://www.stanleyhotel.com/). Only an hour and a half outside Denver!

Have fun with that ;)

schoolofruckus

01-13-2008, 09:21 PM

I am dying to stay at that hotel used in the film. I finally discovered it online this week : The Stanley Hotel (http://www.stanleyhotel.com/). Only an hour and a half outside Denver!

Actually the Stanley is where King wrote the book, and where the ABC miniseries was filmed. For the Kubrick film, the exteriors were shot 2nd unit at some resort in Oregon (I can't remember the name....Ridgeline?*) and the interiors were fully built inside soundstages at Pinewood Studios in London (like every Kubrick film after Spartacus).

But nevertheless, the Stanley's pretty sweet. Jennie, Chris and I went there back in September during our marathon Colorado roadtrip. I'd been there once in like '98, and there was a plaque on Room 217 (the one where King stayed). It has since been removed. There also used to be photo displays from Dumb & Dumber - the front of the Stanley was used in the scene where they pull up in a Lamborghini and start throwing tips around - but now there's just a wall with about 20 or so pictures from "The Shining" (again, the TV version).

* Edit: It was the Timberline in Mount Hood, OR.

luckyface

01-13-2008, 09:46 PM

Actually the Stanley is where King wrote the book, and where the ABC miniseries was filmed. For the Kubrick film, the exteriors were shot 2nd unit at some resort in Oregon (I can't remember the name....Ridgeline?*) and the interiors were fully built inside soundstages at Pinewood Studios in London (like every Kubrick film after Spartacus).

But nevertheless, the Stanley's pretty sweet. Jennie, Chris and I went there back in September during our marathon Colorado roadtrip. I'd been there once in like '98, and there was a plaque on Room 217 (the one where King stayed). It has since been removed. There also used to be photo displays from Dumb & Dumber - the front of the Stanley was used in the scene where they pull up in a Lamborghini and start throwing tips around - but now there's just a wall with about 20 or so pictures from "The Shining" (again, the TV version).

* Edit: It was the Timberline in Mount Hood, OR.

Oh sweet! I didn't know Dumb & Dumber was filmed there. More of a reason to visit. Thanks for the info. I read somewhere on the site that it was the Shining house, so I took that as the movie house. Good to know, though! Thanks!

Down Rodeo

01-14-2008, 12:24 AM

I saw The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada tonight, directed by Tommy Lee Jones and written by Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros, Babel). Briefly, Barry Pepper is a Border Patrol rookie who accidently shoots Melquiades, an illegal immigrant whom Tommy Lee Jones hired to work on his ranch. When the local law enforcement won't do anything about the murder, Jones kidnaps Pepper, makes him dig up the body, and they make the trek to Melquiades' hometown in Mexico to bury him. The trip kind of reminded me of a modern As I Lay Dying, and it shares the same dark comedy and poignancy. Overall, it's a great study of friendship, loyalty, loneliness and redemption set in the complex world of the US-Mexico border. I would highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it.

boarderwoozel3

01-14-2008, 12:25 AM

I thought Sweeny Todd was pretty good. It was shot well.

Hannahrain

01-14-2008, 12:30 AM

It was the Timberline in Mount Hood, OR.

It's looking like my next family vacation is going to be there. It's only about three hours away. They play the movie there all the time so you can watch it and then get creeped out on the way back to your room.

schoolofruckus

01-14-2008, 08:35 AM

I saw The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada tonight, directed by Tommy Lee Jones and written by Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros, Babel). Briefly, Barry Pepper is a Border Patrol rookie who accidently shoots Melquiades, an illegal immigrant whom Tommy Lee Jones hired to work on his ranch. When the local law enforcement won't do anything about the murder, Jones kidnaps Pepper, makes him dig up the body, and they make the trek to Melquiades' hometown in Mexico to bury him. The trip kind of reminded me of a modern As I Lay Dying, and it shares the same dark comedy and poignancy. Overall, it's a great study of friendship, loyalty, loneliness and redemption set in the complex world of the US-Mexico border. I would highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it.

YES. I loved the shit out of this movie.

downingthief

01-14-2008, 09:05 AM

On another note, I watched The Shining for the first time. Yes I know, I'm slapping myself already for waiting so long. Anyway, I really enjoyed it. Especially the last act of the film. During that whole part I loved the scenes where Shelley Duvall's character kept seeing the weird things around the hotel like the cobweb filled lobby and the elevator of blood. And of course, Jack was fantastic.

Intersting timing, as I also watched the Shining over the weekend. My second disk viewed on my Kubrick collection. First time I have seen it in many years.

When I first saw the Shining years ago, I really didn't like it. Mainly because I had recently read the book, and the movie is vastly different in many ways. For this viewing, I tried to keep the book out of my mind, and simply focus on it as a movie. I came away with a much different view. Some of the shots were the best Kubrick ever did. On my first viewing, I thought Jack was too over the top. Now I feel it was dead on. His scene when he first talks with the bartender is simply epic.

Now, the ONLY nitpick that is consistent with me is I loathe Shelley Duvall. Never have liked her, and I really want to strangle her sometimes in this picture. I get WHY Kubrick wanted to cast someone like her. It creates a reason for the character to stay with Jack through all the bad times. Meaning, she cares and loves him more than he cares and loves her. But, ugghh...I think she is just awful. If it weren't for Jack's performance (as well as Danny Lloyd's. Always thought he was fantastic in the movie), she could have ruined the flick.

HowToDisappear

01-14-2008, 10:51 AM

I did, and while it is a fantastic film and does have all the mushyness of a sweeping epic period romance I still don't think it is better than No Country or Blood, in fact I don't even think it comes close. If the Oscars award this film with The Best Picture of the year than they will simply be going their normal sappy route (ala The English Patient and Titanic). I do however understand what your saying pertaining to the league Atonement is in.

I agree. We saw it on Friday, and while we both really liked it, I'd still only give it a solid B+. It's shot beautifully, Keira Knightly is at her least Keira Knightly-ish, and she has great chemistry with James McAvoy. (Who knew James McAvoy could be so hot? I may just have to throw Christain Bale off my Hetero Island and replace him with James. I prefer blue-eyed men anyway.) And I was most impressed with the young actress who plays Briony as a girl. She's a marvel.

thelastgreatman

01-14-2008, 11:12 AM

Intersting timing, as I also watched the Shining over the weekend. My second disk viewed on my Kubrick collection. First time I have seen it in many years.

When I first saw the Shining years ago, I really didn't like it. Mainly because I had recently read the book, and the movie is vastly different in many ways. For this viewing, I tried to keep the book out of my mind, and simply focus on it as a movie. I came away with a much different view. Some of the shots were the best Kubrick ever did. On my first viewing, I thought Jack was too over the top. Now I feel it was dead on. His scene when he first talks with the bartender is simply epic.

Now, the ONLY nitpick that is consistent with me is I loathe Shelley Duvall. Never have liked her, and I really want to strangle her sometimes in this picture. I get WHY Kubrick wanted to cast someone like her. It creates a reason for the character to stay with Jack through all the bad times. Meaning, she cares and loves him more than he cares and loves her. But, ugghh...I think she is just awful. If it weren't for Jack's performance (as well as Danny Lloyd's. Always thought he was fantastic in the movie), she could have ruined the flick.

The idea that a Stephen King book could make that movie a disappointment boggles my mind. I refuse to believe people telling me Stephen King has ever been a good writer, but even if that book was the best horror novel ever there's no fucking way it's as affecting as the movie.

If anyone on here had the same experience with A Clockwork Orange, we're fighting.

Jack over the top? Um... I guess maybe... really it's his best performance of course. How can a man driven to psychopathic homicide by ghosts act over the top, exactly? I do remember being a little perturbed by Shelley Duvall when I was younger, but I generally hate all weak female characters and the way they're acted. Same goes for males, but female characters are forced into that much much more frequently. I can't really think of any examples of actresses that did it any better than Shelley there, though.

The bartender and bathroom attendant are also both top-notch. Just the way bathroom guy says "corrected" is one of my favorite line deliveries ever.

schoolofruckus

01-14-2008, 11:19 AM

Okay, I'm running the fucking list. If I keep waiting and waiting to knock out every movie I think I should see before doing this, it'll never get done. And in the spirit of the Golden Globes "press conference" last night, I'm going to drag it out and make it last an hour.

Category 1 - The Comeback (Honorable Mention)

21. Sweeney Todd

It's nice to have Tim Burton back in the saddle. The film didn't quite blow me away, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. And it was nice to not be annoyed by Johnny Depp for the first time in a loooong time.

Category 2 - The Entertainments

20. 28 Weeks Later

Nothing I saw in '07 delivered gut-level thrills like this one did.

19. Hot Fuzz

On the same note, nothing I saw in '07 made me laugh as fucking hard as this one did.

18. Sunshine

In a year with such a formidable collection of visually astonishing films, it would be easy to forget the lush, chilling beauty of this long-awaited thriller from Danny Boyle. There may be some plot imperfections, but the filmmaking here is worth a salute.

Category 3 - The Runners-Up

17. Persepolis

My favorite animated film of the year.

16. Once

My favorite musical of the year.

15. Gone Baby Gone

A gripping, morally ambiguous crime film with standout acting. Reminiscent in its own way of Changing Lanes.

14. Southland Tales

A film that I enjoyed immensely, and which I can only imagine will improve upon multiple viewings.

13. The Darjeeling Limited

A Wes Anderson film that was harder to take the pulse of than usual. This is another one that I wish I could have seen twice before deciding where to put it.

12. Knocked Up

Hot Fuzz was more flat-out funny, but this soulful, character-driven comedy will stay with me for a very long time.

11. Into the Wild

Top 10 material in most other years.

Category 4 - The Winner's Circle

10. The Savages

My kind of low-budget dark comedy.

9. Atonement

My kind of romantic, British costume epic.

8. Control

My kind of straightforward rock-star biography. From this point on, every entry on this list feels like it should be higher because I loved them all so much.

7. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

This year's great Romanian neo-realist drama. After this and Death of Mr. Lazarescu, the country's film exports will have to be given immediate attention.

6. I'm Not There

As Jared said, the kind of film that can initiate major change in the way narrative films are made. And one of the lightest, most fun experimental films ever.

5. Zodiac

Another film that will change the process, particularly from a visual standpoint. HD never looked better. And the story had seemingly endless ways to arrest my attention.

4. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Like I'm Not There, a film that expertly stretches the idea of how filmmaking can be used uniquely.

Category 5 - The Comeback (Champion Division)

3. No Country For Old Men

A possible career best for one of America's premiere filmmaking teams, and a furious return to form at that.

Category 6 - The Untouchables

2. The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford

In most years, this would be the best film you could hope to find. However, it had two faultless obstacles. One, I only got around to seeing it once. Two, it came along in the same year with something a little more forceful.

1. There Will Be Blood

This is one of the finest films I've ever seen. Period.

Movies I Wanted To See Before Compiling This List, and Will Hopefully Catch Up With Soon:

Quiet City
Syndromes and a Century
Lake of Fire
Things We Lost in the Fire
Margot at the Wedding
Youth Without Youth
Michael Clayton
Rescue Dawn

Worst of the Year (I skip most movies that look shitty to me, but these are the ones I saw that I hated):

Juno - Sigh.
300 - Should be hate-proof because its meathead ambitions are brought to perfect fruition.
The Boss Of It All - Even the absolute best have off-days.
Death Proof - Sometimes the absolute best fall off dramatically.
1408 - Sorry, Jennie.
Fred Claus - Despicable from the moment of conception.

Oscar-beggars I Have No Interest In (a refreshingly irrelevant category this year):

American Gangster
Charlie Wilson's War
The Kite Runner
Lions For Lambs

downingthief

01-14-2008, 11:19 AM

The idea that a Stephen King book could make that movie a disappointment boggles my mind. I refuse to believe people telling me Stephen King has ever been a good writer, but even if that book was the best horror novel ever there's no fucking way it's as affecting as the movie.

If anyone on here had the same experience with A Clockwork Orange, we're fighting.

Jack over the top? Um... I guess maybe... really it's his best performance of course. How can a man driven to psychopathic homicide by ghosts act over the top, exactly? I do remember being a little perturbed by Shelley Duvall when I was younger, but I generally hate all weak female characters and the way they're acted. Same goes for males, but female characters are forced into that much much more frequently. I can't really think of any examples of actresses that did it any better than Shelley there, though.

The bartender and bathroom attendant are also both top-notch. Just the way bathroom guy says "corrected" is one of my favorite line deliveries ever.

Don't disagree on your take on the book. Keep in mind when I first read the book, and saw the movie, I was around 15-16, so my views were a little off.

I've meant plenty of people that are King diehards that to this day HATE the Kubrick version with a venomous passion. That's definitely a bit much.

My favorite shot has to be the one where Jack is looking down on the maze model, and then it slowly pans down to show Wendy and Danny moving in the middle of it. Simply brilliant.

schoolofruckus

01-14-2008, 11:33 AM

The Shining works in book and movie form. I prefer the movie; I usually do, and the fact that Kubrick is several hundred times the artist that King is only makes the choice that much more clear cut. But it's a pretty decent horror novel in its own right.

I liked the unpolished quality of Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd. I really liked everything about the movie; even the overabundant exposition in the interview scenes with Jack felt right because they felt so heavily affected.

J~$$$

01-14-2008, 11:34 AM

AWWWWW SHIIIIIT GABE!

http://www.u23dmovie.com/

"Only a few minutes in, I looked around the screening room in my classy 3D glasses (they’re real glass!) and noticed everyone’s jaws were wide open. The footage was breathtaking, shot in seven different South American cities throughout U2’s Vertigo tour. At times throughout the film I found myself wanting to clap as it felt like I was there.

I’ve seen a lot of concerts — and the view from the boom put this in the top 10 shows I’ve ever seen, and the band wasn’t even in the room. This technology is something else.

The team at National Geographic and producers at 3ality Digital should be proud — they truly created something remarkable. Be sure to catch this when it gets a wider distribution; tickets for the screening at Sundance next week are already all over eBay!"

schoolofruckus

01-14-2008, 11:43 AM

YES!!!!

January 23rd? Holy shit, that's close. And I see it's opening at the Bridge IMAX, where I saw Transformers. I'll be there, man.

Brother Plainview

01-14-2008, 11:55 AM

1. There Will Be Blood

This is one of the finest films I've ever seen. Period.

I. DRINK. YOUR. MILKSHAKE. I DRINK IT UP.

schoolofruckus

01-14-2008, 11:56 AM

They should have thrown you out with your mother's filth.

Brother Plainview

01-14-2008, 12:01 PM

DRAYYYNAAAGE!!

wmgaretjax

01-14-2008, 12:23 PM

Syndromes and a Century comes out on DVD tomorrow Gabe.

schoolofruckus

01-14-2008, 12:29 PM

It's first up in my Netflix queue. I have Climates and Killer of Sheep at home; neither of them are 2007 eligible, but I think they both look awesome.

Neutral Milk Hotel

01-14-2008, 12:40 PM

I almost bought Killer of Sheep last night. I'm going to download Syndromes and a Century soon (if not try to find it for rent), Weerasethakul is one of my favorite filmmakers.

Yesterday I watched Juno. I didn't hate the bad parts as much as I did the first time, and didn't like the good parts as much as I did the first time.

Neutral Milk Hotel

01-14-2008, 12:42 PM

I. DRINK. YOUR. MILKSHAKE. I DRINK IT UP.

I know that line is from the ending of the film, just please don't spoil it. I'm finally seeing this on Friday, and while I know too much about the ending, I've managed to avoid finding out what about it is causing all the strong reactions.

wmgaretjax

01-14-2008, 01:18 PM

It's first up in my Netflix queue. I have Climates and Killer of Sheep at home; neither of them are 2007 eligible, but I think they both look awesome.

Climates is 2007 eligible for me. That movie deserves credit and it didn't come anywhere near here until this year. Killer of Sheep is fantastic as well.

schoolofruckus

01-14-2008, 03:40 PM

Sorry for those who have not seen There Will Be Blood yet - but this is worth a laugh in spite of being fucking stupid. There aren't any spoilers (at least, no footage that wasn't already in the trailer).

MCCdZmHk5Fk

J~$$$

01-14-2008, 03:50 PM

hahahahaha

KungFuJoe

01-14-2008, 04:13 PM

that was pretty funny Gabe. I'm really itching to go see it for a third time now. You should hit it up at the Vista.

disgustipated

01-14-2008, 04:15 PM

OOOooooo

amyzzz

01-14-2008, 04:36 PM

I saw 3:10 to Yuma and enjoyed it even though I don't really like Westerns. And conversely, I did not enjoy Sunshine (scifi pic) because the ending was retarded. (I usually really like scifi) The story and special effects could carry this one more than some hastily thrown-together space monster.

Brother Plainview

01-14-2008, 04:43 PM

I know that line is from the ending of the film, just please don't spoil it. I'm finally seeing this on Friday, and while I know too much about the ending, I've managed to avoid finding out what about it is causing all the strong reactions.

Teh best acting of my life. And yours. Bitches.

Neutral Milk Hotel

01-14-2008, 04:45 PM

Oh, I'm sure. Paul Thomas Anderson is one of my favorite filmmakers too. I was supposed to see the movie this weekend, but then I found out my dorm was robbed over break and all plans went out the window.

KungFuJoe

01-14-2008, 04:49 PM

I saw 3:10 to Yuma and enjoyed it even though I don't really like Westerns. And conversely, I did not enjoy Sunshine (scifi pic) because the ending was retarded. (I usually really like scifi) The story and special effects could carry this one more than some hastily thrown-together space monster.

sure the third act was bad, but Sunshine is a way better film than 3:10 To Yuma could ever hope to be. That film is sooooooo gay!

amyzzz

01-14-2008, 05:16 PM

*sunshine spoilers*

Sunshine seemed a bit overdone to me as well as having a crappy ending. Do we have to see EVERYONE get fried by the sun, and does EVERYONE want to watch the sun just before it fries them? And I did not like Cillian's hair in that movie. My god, get a haircut, Cillian! :)

wmgaretjax

01-14-2008, 05:32 PM

fuck. the ending of sunshine just got ruined for me... I missed the first line of your post...

ghettojournalist

01-14-2008, 05:34 PM

^i thought that would be the ending. i'm still going to see it though.

KungFuJoe

01-14-2008, 05:34 PM

no. just some things that lead up to the end

amyzzz

01-14-2008, 05:38 PM

Sorry about that. I have now changed the color of the spoiler part. I tried to warn you.

KungFuJoe

01-14-2008, 05:40 PM

I'll ruin the ending of 3:10 to Yuma for you.

Russel Crowe and Christian Bale make out.

amyzzz

01-14-2008, 05:42 PM

That'd be so awesome.

iv3rdawG

01-14-2008, 07:11 PM

D2G5NUc4sNI

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0829432/

Hahah. :lool

schoolofruckus

01-15-2008, 12:45 AM

:lool

God damn right. That has to be one of the most hilariously awful movie trailers in history. I seriously want to know who the ad wizards are that watched that bilge and said "YES!!! People will want to SEE this!".

God damn right. That has to be one of the most hilariously awful movie trailers in history. I seriously want to know who the ad wizards are that watched that bilge and said "YES!!! People will want to SEE this!".

Dear God...that's awful. I was hoping it would at least have some boobs in it, but it's rated PG. Boobs can't save a movie...but it can help.

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, Persepolis, and - even though it's a US production and thus was never eligible - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly are not.

The nominations for the Oscars haven't even been announced and they've already failed :nono

iv3rdawG

01-15-2008, 08:20 PM

Watched Rear Window today. Some spoilers will follow.

I really loved this one. More than Vertigo, actually. Once again Jimmy Stewart was excellent as was Grace Kelly. What a brilliant final act. When Lisa and Stella were digging up the garden and she decides to go up to Thorwald's apartment and he starts to come up. So suspenseful. And what a crazy way to actually end it. I'd say it's definitely one of the best suspense/mystery/thrillers. Just wonderful.

downingthief

01-16-2008, 10:03 AM

Watched Rear Window today. Some spoilers will follow.

I really loved this one. More than Vertigo, actually. Once again Jimmy Stewart was excellent as was Grace Kelly. What a brilliant final act. When Lisa and Stella were digging up the garden and she decides to go up to Thorwald's apartment and he starts to come up. So suspenseful. And what a crazy way to actually end it. I'd say it's definitely one of the best suspense/mystery/thrillers. Just wonderful.

Fantastic. Glad you liked it. By far my favorite Hitchcock movie.

J~$$$

01-16-2008, 03:57 PM

The international trailer for CJ7

http://www.movieweb.com/video/V08A378kmpFNTY

whynotsmile99

01-16-2008, 04:03 PM

The international trailer for CJ7

http://www.movieweb.com/video/V08A378kmpFNTY

As much as I love Stephen Chow, that trailer did nothing for me. But it's Stephen Chow so I will certainly see it. Damn, I wish I still had my dvd collection. I feel like watching GOD OF COOKERY again

J~$$$

01-16-2008, 04:05 PM

Watch the US trailer its much better.

Oh and I dont give a shit how stupid it is im seein strange wilderness. That buck tooth shark scene had me crying.

PotVsKtl

01-16-2008, 04:10 PM

That CGI is sub-Spy Kids quality. Fuck that stupid little alien.

Courtney

01-16-2008, 04:14 PM

Dear Gabe,

Who will be the five Oscar nominees for Best Picture? I need to know so I can win a bet. I am thinking There Will Be Blood, Atonement, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men and Sweeney Todd. Or maybe Juno? Or maybe American Gangster?

Please guide me to the truth.

Courtney

Courtney

01-16-2008, 04:15 PM

Also I saw PS I Love You the other day. I don't want to talk about it. Maybe that should have gone in the confessions thread.

J~$$$

01-16-2008, 04:20 PM

That CGI is sub-Spy Kids quality. Fuck that stupid little alien.

Its not about CGI, and stupid little aliens.

Its about learning a poignant lesson about the true nature of family and the things money can't buy. tear jerker shit chinese style.

Jenniehoo

01-16-2008, 04:21 PM

PS I love you wasn't good? Not funny or just stupid?

I need to know this information.

Courtney

01-16-2008, 04:26 PM

The premise looked creepy in the trailers, and was creepy in the actual movie. Not that that stopped me from crying pretty much through the entire thing.

Also Hillary Swank is not cut out for romantic comedies. She needs more Boys Don't Cry-type movies. Her biceps are intimidating.

Jenniehoo

01-16-2008, 04:34 PM

It does look creepy - you're right. And if it's sad, I can't do it. What is Hillary Swank about these days, anyway? She did this and the Dangerous Minds revisited movie...I don't get her choices.

Thank you for explaining.

whynotsmile99

01-16-2008, 04:35 PM

Watch the US trailer its much better.

Oh and I dont give a shit how stupid it is im seein strange wilderness. That buck tooth shark scene had me crying.

that is such a great commercial.

whynotsmile99

01-16-2008, 04:37 PM

Dear Gabe,

Who will be the five Oscar nominees for Best Picture? I need to know so I can win a bet. I am thinking There Will Be Blood, Atonement, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men and Sweeney Todd. Or maybe Juno? Or maybe American Gangster?

Please guide me to the truth.

Courtney

i'm going to predict

Diving Bell and the Butterfly
There Will Be Blood
No Country For old Men
Sweeney Todd
Atonement

Neutral Milk Hotel

01-16-2008, 05:20 PM

Oh and I dont give a shit how stupid it is im seein strange wilderness. That buck tooth shark scene had me crying.

HAW HAW HAW HAW

schoolofruckus

01-16-2008, 06:30 PM

i'm going to predict

Diving Bell and the Butterfly
There Will Be Blood
No Country For old Men
Sweeney Todd
Atonement

I would be thrilled if you were right. Those are all very good. However, Diving Bell and the Butterfly doesn't have a chance in the Best Picture race. It will, however, be a contender (and I believe, a finalist) in the Best Director field.

Courtney, my picks are:

No Country For Old Men - The one guaranteed pick.
There Will Be Blood - Getting some in-its-time recognition I didn't think would come, and thank the fuck Christ.
Juno - I wince as I type this, but in spite of the Globes snub, this one's going to be in. The year was dominated by intense, intellectual, male-driven films. The people who don't favor that kind of fare will have to go for something else, and this one is a huge hit (already around $75 million at the box office).
Into the Wild - I think this one is a darkhorse candidate that a lot of people will find surprising. Bottom line - the Academy loves actor-directed films, because the biggest voting branch of the Academy is the actors. And Sean Penn is widely beloved among them. The chance to salute him as the latest actor to become a skilled filmmaker is ripe for the taking.

Now here's where it gets tricky. In my belief, Sweeney Todd, Michael Clayton, and Atonement are all legitimate contenders. Ultimately, I'm going to pick Michael Clayton. It got a DGA nomination, which is usually a very good predictor of the best picture pool. It's struck a bigger chord with audiences than Sweeney and Atonement. It has the George Clooney syndrome that I spoke of with Sean Penn; there's widely-held belief that he ghost-directed the movie, and either way he took a massive paycut to make it because of his passion for the script. Anyway - I picked Clayton to be among the finalists a few weeks ago, and I'm sticking to it. I hope you don't lose money on my behalf.

iv3rdawG

01-16-2008, 06:54 PM

Oh and I dont give a shit how stupid it is im seein strange wilderness. That buck tooth shark scene had me crying.

:lool (laughing with you)

iv3rdawG

01-16-2008, 08:04 PM

The Envelope:

“One of the biggest outrages in the history of the Academy’s foreign film committee -- a scandal fed by deficient taste and myopic, mule-like obstinacy -- has just happened with the release of the nine-film short list that doesn’t include Cristian Mungiu's widely hailed "4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days." The people who pushed for this decision need to be identified and, with all charity and compassion, expelled from this group for life.” – Jeffrey Wells, who has been reporting on this for a while, drops the hammer on the Foreign Language Oscar shortlist at Hollywood Elsewhere.

“I haven't seen the 9 pictures they did select but I can assure you that it’s an artistic impossibility that all are superior to the Romanian film. Few films in any given year are.” – Nathaniel Rogers also jumps on the foreign langunge pile-on at The Film Experience"

Rest here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/awards/

I still shake my head :nono

Jerm05

01-16-2008, 08:10 PM

Oh and I dont give a shit how stupid it is im seein strange wilderness. That buck tooth shark scene had me crying.

“One of the biggest outrages in the history of the Academy’s foreign film committee -- a scandal fed by deficient taste and myopic, mule-like obstinacy -- has just happened with the release of the nine-film short list that doesn’t include Cristian Mungiu's widely hailed "4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days." The people who pushed for this decision need to be identified and, with all charity and compassion, expelled from this group for life.” – Jeffrey Wells, who has been reporting on this for a while, drops the hammer on the Foreign Language Oscar shortlist at Hollywood Elsewhere.

“I haven't seen the 9 pictures they did select but I can assure you that it’s an artistic impossibility that all are superior to the Romanian film. Few films in any given year are.” – Nathaniel Rogers also jumps on the foreign langunge pile-on at The Film Experience"

Rest here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/awards/

I still shake my head :nono

Wells has been bashing the Academy's aversion to this film for a couple months - basically since the first Academy screening was held and left some older members cold.

He and Rogers are both right. It's a travesty and the Academy should be ashamed.

iv3rdawG

01-16-2008, 08:32 PM

Wells has been bashing the Academy's aversion to this film for a couple months - basically since the first Academy screening was held and left some older members cold.

He and Rogers are both right. It's a travesty and the Academy should be ashamed.

Indeed it is. I'm really pissed off about it. Not to mention, The Orphanage was also left off the list.

About 4 Months:

"A "name" player associated with the foreign branch shared the following a few minutes ago: "I'm embarrassed. I think it's humiliating and unfair, and I'm shocked...shocked at this omission."

"Somewhere between 300 and 400 people voted for the nine films. Exaggerating only slightly, a veteran marketer described the foreign film branch this morning as "all retired, their median age is 75, a lot of them are on walkers and they have very conservative tastes."

I didn't read any of this thread but I feel the movie "Made" needs to be mentioned and possible discussed.

schoolofruckus

01-16-2008, 09:50 PM

It's funny you should say that, Rage.....I watched Made again on Saturday night for possibly the 100th time. It is one of the top-5 funniest movies I've ever seen (even topping Swingers - gasp - for sheer comic value) and I missed it very much.

ragingdave

01-16-2008, 09:54 PM

I can alomst cry just thinkigna bot ut.

schoolofruckus

01-16-2008, 09:56 PM

The DVD commentary is also the stuff of legend. I particularly love that they use the Madden pen to tally the number of times they say "fuck" in the scene where they wait for Diddy on the Harlem streetcorner (it's like 48 "fuck"'s in a 2 minute scene).

"I sold it, I stole it, what the fuck difference does it make!?!"

ragingdave

01-16-2008, 10:03 PM

Tonight, I walked by a store front where people were molding/spinning (or whatever you call it in pottery world) pottery pieces.

I felt that they should have spun an ashtray.

schoolofruckus

01-16-2008, 10:05 PM

I walked in a real Colour Me Mine one time and had to physically restrain myself in order to avoid lighting up.

ragingdave

01-16-2008, 10:07 PM

It's a digestif.

ragingdave

01-16-2008, 10:09 PM

though, driving from Harlem to the lower east side with a shirtless guy on a motorcycle may be the ultimate.

I may change my name to Cardiff Giant.

schoolofruckus

01-16-2008, 10:11 PM

So what's the overhead? What's the action that's coming my way? Huh? Throw it to me, captain. You know how I do.

ragingdave

01-16-2008, 10:12 PM

I am tossing a virtual glass of water on you now.

schoolofruckus

01-16-2008, 10:14 PM

What about me, Coach? Did I always have heart?

algunz

01-16-2008, 10:23 PM

Schoolio, in my not so expert opinion, you're nuts to think that Atonement won't be nominated for best picture. I haven't seen it, but it's got Academy written all over it.

And yes, Made is a fun one. Vaughn and Favreau are synergystic.

schoolofruckus

01-16-2008, 10:31 PM

Thank God for that last sentence. We have a nice little Made post chain going (which I'm dooming now because someone will inevitably break it for no good reason) and I don't want it to end.

I wish I could feel more confident that Atonement will show this year, but I've read lots of reports about how it's leaving many audiences - and critics - cold. Don't forget - I personally loved it. It seems like every year, a movie in this same tradition (British, literary-minded historical/romantic epic) is in the hunt; it would be a bummer to have the first truly great one in quite some time not have a fighting chance. But apart from the Golden Globe, it has been getting widely ignored in most of the guild and critics' awards. And the box office has been sub-par.

full on idle

01-16-2008, 10:34 PM

Gabe does pretty good when he puts his mind to it.

schoolofruckus

01-16-2008, 10:35 PM

God dammit. Made chain over.

full on idle

01-16-2008, 10:36 PM

I LOVE YOU GABRIEL

bmack86

01-16-2008, 11:07 PM

Thursday and friday, we at UCLA are showing The Assassination of Jesse James at both 7pm and 10pm. They'll be at Ackerman Grand Ball room, you'll see signs when you enter the main student union. Tickets are $2. People should go.

schoolofruckus

01-16-2008, 11:08 PM

Do you hear that? I think I hear a phone ringing.....oh wait, it's the Nobel Peace Prize committee. They want to give it to bmack.

wmgaretjax

01-16-2008, 11:28 PM

Conspirators of Pleasure is fucking amazing...

full on idle

01-16-2008, 11:30 PM

hey wmgaretx I'm in Seattle from tomorrow to Sunday what's the coolest thing to do this weekend?

Courtney

01-16-2008, 11:31 PM

I would be thrilled if you were right. Those are all very good. However, Diving Bell and the Butterfly doesn't have a chance in the Best Picture race. It will, however, be a contender (and I believe, a finalist) in the Best Director field.

Courtney, my picks are:

No Country For Old Men - The one guaranteed pick.
There Will Be Blood - Getting some in-its-time recognition I didn't think would come, and thank the fuck Christ.
Juno - I wince as I type this, but in spite of the Globes snub, this one's going to be in. The year was dominated by intense, intellectual, male-driven films. The people who don't favor that kind of fare will have to go for something else, and this one is a huge hit (already around $75 million at the box office).
Into the Wild - I think this one is a darkhorse candidate that a lot of people will find surprising. Bottom line - the Academy loves actor-directed films, because the biggest voting branch of the Academy is the actors. And Sean Penn is widely beloved among them. The chance to salute him as the latest actor to become a skilled filmmaker is ripe for the taking.

Now here's where it gets tricky. In my belief, Sweeney Todd, Michael Clayton, and Atonement are all legitimate contenders. Ultimately, I'm going to pick Michael Clayton. It got a DGA nomination, which is usually a very good predictor of the best picture pool. It's struck a bigger chord with audiences than Sweeney and Atonement. It has the George Clooney syndrome that I spoke of with Sean Penn; there's widely-held belief that he ghost-directed the movie, and either way he took a massive paycut to make it because of his passion for the script. Anyway - I picked Clayton to be among the finalists a few weeks ago, and I'm sticking to it. I hope you don't lose money on my behalf.

Thank you. I knew you wouldn't let me down. Also it's not for money -- it's for the joy of watching other people be wrong.

dorkfish

01-17-2008, 12:47 AM

7. Juno - When the yuppy chick was painting the room, she was totally wearing her husband's Alice in Chains t-shirt, and I hated her for it.

Thursday and friday, we at UCLA are showing The Assassination of Jesse James at both 7pm and 10pm. They'll be at Ackerman Grand Ball room, you'll see signs when you enter the main student union. Tickets are $2. People should go.

*marks on calendar*

I'm gonna do everything I can do to go and see it.

Thanks.

schoolofruckus

01-17-2008, 07:10 AM

Yup, that'll suck.

I'm asking strenuously that you not post this photo on the board - well, in this thread in particular.

thelastgreatman

01-17-2008, 07:32 AM

I'll agree to that. I only did it with that other thing--well okay, partly because I'm just an asshole--because I honestly felt it was criminal that they didn't use it. Say what you want about the effectiveness of not hearing Murray's line, it would have been the best piece of dialogue in the whole fucking movie.

schoolofruckus

01-17-2008, 08:42 AM

Thank you.

Down Rodeo

01-17-2008, 09:27 AM

have people finished their top films lists or still waiting to see things?

Still need to see a few more, namely There Will Be Blood.

KungFuJoe

01-17-2008, 09:40 AM

I want to thank J$$$ for posting the new CJ7 trailer. I have to admit I was very worried after watching the first one. Now I have faith that this will have the same comic brilliance we have come to expect from the amazing Stephen Chow, from such classics as King of Comedy, God of Cookery, Shaolin Soccer & Kung Fu Hustle.

I want to chime in on MADE too. So many people I know hated that, because they hated Vince Vaughn in it. My response is always, what the fuck is wrong with you?! Vince Vaughn is fucking hilarious in that! Definately one of the most underrated comedies of recent time. Plus it's shot beautifully by the great Chris Doyle (as mentioned in an earlier post). The argument in the penguin tank is brilliant. Sam Rockwell's cameo is fucking great! and mother fuckin' screech! Also, the dvd commentary, Gabe is right. It's a must listen. Possibly my favorite commentary put on any dvd that I've listened to.

As for the Academy Awards. I'd like to make a prediction of who I believe will be nominated too, just to see if I'm right. Providing they don't have a 3 way tie for 5th place like the Globes, I predict There Will Be Blood, No Country For Old Men, Atonement, Michael Clayton & Juno. I'd like to replace Juno with Diving Bell & the Butterfly, but I think Gabe is right on that one.

I'll post my top ten later. For now, it's back to bed.

J~$$$

01-17-2008, 09:51 AM

UGHhh George A Romero is jumpin on the handheld bandwagon. I dont care though, zombies, no matter how stupid the movie is I will see it.

http://www.movieweb.com/video/V08A189cixBGRX

wmgaretjax

01-17-2008, 10:46 AM

there will be blood
no country for old men
diving bell and the butterfly
atonement
and my wildcard:
i'm not there

The oscars have dug Haynes before, and I think Dylan is a pretty serious draw for that crowd. Despite it being really experimental. I think Juno will get rightfully shafted.

schoolofruckus

01-17-2008, 10:49 AM

there will be blood
no country for old men
diving bell and the butterfly
atonement
and my wildcard:
i'm not there

The oscars have dug Haynes before, and I think Dylan is a pretty serious draw for that crowd. Despite it being really experimental. I think Juno will get rightfully shafted.

Your nominees would be my favorite so far.

Did you end up seeing Atonement?

kreutz2112

01-17-2008, 10:52 AM

So I watched Mr. Woodcock last night. It was that or Balls of Fury, my fiance has horrible taste in movies and it was her turn to pick one. She gave me these two choices and I hadn't had a Billy Bob fix in a while. It fucking sucked. The only good part of the movie was the very first part when Billy Bob was telling all the little kids what pussies they were. And I fucking hate Stifler.

wmgaretjax

01-17-2008, 11:08 AM

Your nominees would be my favorite so far.

Did you end up seeing Atonement?

I have not. I might tomorrow though.

bmack86

01-17-2008, 11:22 AM

*marks on calendar*

I'm gonna do everything I can do to go and see it.

Thanks.

Yup. If you go, post on here beforehand and I'll try to make the screening you're heading to so we can meet up and say hi. I plan on being there at 10pm tonight, because I'm working a concert before that.

there will be blood
no country for old men
diving bell and the butterfly
atonement
and my wildcard:
i'm not there

The oscars have dug Haynes before, and I think Dylan is a pretty serious draw for that crowd. Despite it being really experimental. I think Juno will get rightfully shafted.

Throw in Assassination of Jesse James and that's my top 6 of the year. I'd love to see "I'm Not There" nominated, but I seriously doubt it will be.

With that said, here's my top ten of 2007.
1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD
2. I'M NOT THERE
3. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
4. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
5. ATONEMENT
6. THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY
7. BRAND! UPON THE BRAIN
8. ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
9. THE HOST
10. RESCUE DAWN

the last three on this list are ones I truly enjoyed and would watch several times. however there's a good chance they'd get bumped to honorable mentions if I hadn't missed some of these films - Into the Wild, Michael Clayton, Syndromes & a Century, Once, The Savages, Margot at the Wedding, Gone Baby Gone, Lust Caution, Persepolis, Control, Black Book, etc.....

other honorable mentions = Sunshine, Angel-A, Hot Fuzz, and Superbad.

thelastgreatman

01-17-2008, 11:44 AM

I'm Not There over No Country? KungFuNotGabe, there is no way in hell that's true. Why must you be so damn lovable and do things like this to me?

KungFuJoe

01-17-2008, 11:50 AM

I loved No Country for Old Men, I really did. The reason why I think I ranked it low on my list is because I compare it to other coen brothers films more so than I compare it to other films in general. That may be unfair, because most Coen bros. films are better than 95% of the shit out there.

I'm Not There I felt to be more groundbreaking in it's storytelling. It brought something new to the table and though I thougt No Country was masterfully made, it didn't really reinvent the wheel.

ThomThom

01-17-2008, 11:51 AM

I'm about to give in and change my predicted nominees for the Oscars, mainly because of Juno's box office draw and quirky little indie shityness, Michael Clayton's surprising DGA nod, the recent lawsuit that has been hitting the news against American Gangster which should spark up some more interest in this otherwise dead film, and Penn & Co. seem to be steamrolling through most award shows as of late for Into the Wild.

LOCKS
Atonement
No Country for Old Men
There Will be Blood
Juno

FIGHT FOR LAST SPOT
American Gangster/Michael Clayton/Into the Wild

bmack86

01-17-2008, 11:52 AM

I just want to say that I saw There Will Be Blood again last night. That movie is required viewing for everybody. It's so amazing.

ThomThom

01-17-2008, 11:59 AM

Daniel Day-Lewis' best performance since In the Name of the Father

I hope the actual film and it's director get the credit that is deserved by the Academy.

thelastgreatman

01-17-2008, 12:00 PM

I loved No Country for Old Men, I really did. The reason why I think I ranked it low on my list is because I compare it to other coen brothers films more so than I compare it to other films in general. That may be unfair, because most Coen bros. films are better than 95% of the shit out there.

I'm Not There I felt to be more groundbreaking in it's storytelling. It brought something new to the table and though I thougt No Country was masterfully made, it didn't really reinvent the wheel.

Really? You don't think it ranks well amongst Coen works? I'd have to see it several more times and ruminate on it to be sure, but I think it's easily in their top three. Shit, it really puts up an amazing fight against Fargo as far as neo-noir goes. Well, alright that definitely requires repeat viewings before I go making a "better than Fargo" statement, but it ain't far off if it isn't.

I don't think I'm Not There reinvented a wheel either though, admittedly not having seen it. Nice gimmick and all, but an A-class crime saga can't possibly lose out to an A-class music biopic. Can it?

schoolofruckus

01-17-2008, 12:04 PM

Yup. If you go, post on here beforehand and I'll try to make the screening you're heading to so we can meet up and say hi. I plan on being there at 10pm tonight, because I'm working a concert before that.

I'm Not There over No Country? Gabe, there is no way in hell that's true. Why must you be so damn lovable and do things like this to me?

Gabe?

thelastgreatman

01-17-2008, 12:08 PM

Oh fuck me, I'm sorry. For some reason your avatars processed the same for me. What the hell are those colorful blobs anyway? Fixed.

amyzzz

01-17-2008, 12:10 PM

I just looked at movie showtimes, and There Will Be Blood is finally coming to Mesa. It was playing exclusively in Scottsdale for 2 weeks, but I hate going there. So maybe this weekend finally.

KungFuJoe

01-17-2008, 12:15 PM

Really? You don't think it ranks well amongst Coen works? I'd have to see it several more times and ruminate on it to be sure, but I think it's easily in their top three. Shit, it really puts up an amazing fight against Fargo as far as neo-noir goes. Well, alright that definitely requires repeat viewings before I go making a "better than Fargo" statement, but it ain't far off if it isn't.

I don't think I'm Not There reinvented a wheel either though, admittedly not having seen it. Nice gimmick and all, but an A-class crime saga can't possibly lose out to an A-class music biopic. Can it?

It definately ranks well amongst their work. Definately the best they've made since Fargo (although I love the Big Lebowski) Like you said though, it'll prbably take me a few more viewings to truly rank it. And given the test of time I may grow to enjoy No Country more than I'm Not There. The thing with No Country is that it reminded me of Blood Simple sooo much. . It makes me question if I would put No Country amongst my top three Coen Bros. pics. Those being, Barton Fink, Blood Simple & Fargo. I'm too tired to discuss it right now, but I do think I will need to watch it a few more times to grasp my true feelings on it.

I can see where I'm Not There comes off as a gimmick, but it's much deeper than that. It's certainly the most original film I've seen all year. And the fact that it succeeds so well is what makes it triumphant. I will need to watch this one again as well.

KungFuJoe

01-17-2008, 12:17 PM

Gabe?

haha. i didn't even notice this. i'm half awake here.

don't worry. I think Gabe had No Country over I'm Not There on his list.

oh ... the colorful blobs are from the album cover for Broacast's "Future Crayon"

thelastgreatman

01-17-2008, 12:20 PM

Wait, you think Barton Fink is one of their better movies? Okay, nevermind, you're clearly a madman.

KungFuJoe

01-17-2008, 12:26 PM

Wait, you think Barton Fink is one of their better movies? Okay, nevermind, you're clearly a madman.

perhaps.

I might even have the balls to say it's their best film. I'm suprised you don't think it's one of their better films, being a writer and all.

we all look at films in different ways. it's all a matter of prefrence.

J~$$$

01-17-2008, 01:16 PM

"Where In The World is Osama Bin Laden?"
Did the dude really find and interview Osama for his movie?

ruetheday

01-17-2008, 01:18 PM

perhaps.

I might even have the balls to say it's their best film. I'm suprised you don't think it's one of their better films, being a writer and all.

we all look at films in different ways. it's all a matter of prefrence.

Barton Fink was fucking amazing. Easily one of their best films.

Down Rodeo

01-17-2008, 01:21 PM

What about Miller's Crossing? I haven't seen it yet, but I heard it's awesome.

ruetheday

01-17-2008, 01:21 PM

Very good as well, not as good as Barton Fink.

thelastgreatman

01-17-2008, 01:23 PM

Barton Fink is barely watchable. I don't know what you guys saw in it. It's the only true mistake the Coens ever made.

Ladykillers was crap, Fargo was overhyped, Intolerable Cruelty should have been made as a bad joke.

Randy you couldn't be more wrong. Watch it again, Barton Fink was amazing, one of Tuturo's best roles.

J~$$$

01-17-2008, 01:26 PM

Barton Fink is barely watchable. I don't know what you guys saw in it. It's the only true mistake the Coens ever made.

WHAAAA!? Barton Fink was an amazing adventure into the imagination.

thelastgreatman

01-17-2008, 01:27 PM

Horseshit. Rue, slandering Fargo is criminal, all the more evidence that I know I'm right about Fink.

Jerm05

01-17-2008, 01:28 PM

I just looked at movie showtimes, and There Will Be Blood is finally coming to Mesa. It was playing exclusively in Scottsdale for 2 weeks, but I hate going there. So maybe this weekend finally.

hmm..where in mesa? i watched it in scottsdale, but would love to see again with less distance to travel

Jenniehoo

01-17-2008, 01:28 PM

I loved Intolerable Cruelty. It was a romp. A fun-filled, finely made, evil romp. Fargo wasn't as good as the hype, but it was good enough that the backlash shouldn't apply to it.

thelastgreatman

01-17-2008, 01:32 PM

There is one split-second in Intolerable Cruelty when the Baron is giving his testimony and the opposing attorney is making objections rapidly, each time the judge saying "I'm going to allow it," and the third time he objects Clooney snap turns and yells, "Enough, George, she's gonna allow it!" And when he turns back he looks up at the judge out of the corner of his eye with one of the funniest expressions ever in anything. Shit kills me every time I see it.

Aside from that, it's a romantic comedy, what do you expect?

Jenniehoo

01-17-2008, 01:36 PM

I am a girl. I love it. Mission accomplished.

ruetheday

01-17-2008, 01:37 PM

There is one split-second in Intolerable Cruelty when the Baron is giving his testimony and the opposing attorney is making objections rapidly, each time the judge saying "I'm going to allow it," and the third time he objects Clooney snap turns and yells, "Enough, George, she's gonna allow it!" And when he turns back he looks up at the judge out of the corner of his eye with one of the funniest expressions ever in anything. Shit kills me every time I see it.

Aside from that, it's a romantic comedy, what do you expect?

I love a good romantic comedy. I can't count how many times I've seen Love Actually. But seriously intolerable cruelty is almost painful. To know the coens made that movie makes me sad. They could have done a much better job. Fuck Jersey Girl was a better romantic comedy than intolerable cruelty.

My favorite thing about Barton Fink is the fact that the Coens made it while they were supposed to be making Millers Crossing. They got writers block so instead made a movie about a writer with writers block, it's amazing. Then they went back and finished Millers Crossing. Ended up naming the complex the Barton Arms in homage.

amyzzz

01-17-2008, 01:40 PM

hmm..where in mesa? i watched it in scottsdale, but would love to see again with less distance to travel
I was searching the Harkins website, so here are the Harkins theatres it will be at:
Harkins Superstition Springs (by the mall, Power and Superstition Springs)
Harkins Chandler Fashion Center
Harkins Arizona Mills (Tempe)
Harkins Tempe Marketplace
and good ol Harkins Camelview (Scottsdale)

thelastgreatman

01-17-2008, 02:15 PM

I am a girl. I love it. Mission accomplished.

Agreed. Making a romance movie that I find endurable is pretty damned accomplished far as I'm concerned.

I love a good romantic comedy. I can't count how many times I've seen Love Actually. But seriously intolerable cruelty is almost painful. To know the coens made that movie makes me sad. They could have done a much better job. Fuck Jersey Girl was a better romantic comedy than intolerable cruelty.

My favorite thing about Barton Fink is the fact that the Coens made it while they were supposed to be making Millers Crossing. They got writers block so instead made a movie about a writer with writers block, it's amazing. Then they went back and finished Millers Crossing. Ended up naming the complex the Barton Arms in homage.

Dude, you can't count how many times you've seen Love Actually? Seriously? I defend Jersey Girl also by the same criteria--about as good as it could be for what it was trying to be--but you can't tell me Love Actually does that much of a better job.

How long is the fucking sequence at the end where the hotel is on fire? For Christ's sake, John Goodman takes like 10 minutes just to get to the room. Sorry, but it's bad tension.